Last June’s decision by SACS took the university by surprise, coming two years after it awarded the campus separate accreditation from USF Tampa. USF St. Petersburg met 87 of 89 standards, but fell short on one standard dealing with assessing the academic skill of general education students and another that involves tracking student success after graduation.

The probation was not based on quality of faculty or academic programs. USF remained an accredited institution throughout.

“This is a very fine institution and the committees have completed the necessary work to demonstrate compliance,” interim regional chancellor Margaret Sullivan said in a press release. "The faculty is to be commended for this oustanding response."

About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.